VERICOM - Smart Metering via Mesh-Network Topology

VERICOM-Smart metering solution

VERICOM radio mesh-network is an independent, proven and interoperable smart metering solution based on fully bi-directional, battery-operated SubGHz radio infrastructure, built to collect data from all meters and measurement devices from all medias (such as: electricity, gas, water, heat and cooling). VERICOM radio nodes are “meter independent” and communicate with different meter makes and meter types.

VERICOM product-video

Customer success story

Non-domestic energy customers and sites differ in size, turnover, sector
and intensity of energy use. Furthermore they need to handle with given
energy management guidelines and regulations.

With VERICOM radio "Wireless Smart Grid Solution" you are able not only to
read remotely your different devices, you gain the full picture of your
energy consumption, like peak hours and static periods.

“The “smarter” way to save energy and money helps our public customers to save up to 20% of their expenses per year”, explains Günther Betz, Managing Director, ViWa GmbH. “Only a detailed data measurement gives you the opportunity to act purposefully.”

Mr Betz adds, “ViWa GmbH is a system integrator for telemetry in Germany with specialization on public sector customers. In cooperation with VERAUT GmbH we offer for 150 ViWa GmbH customers an integrated subGHz radio mesh-network solution to collect all data in a given timeframe and transmit them via mobile 3G-communication to a cloud service. After validation and interfacing to a web portal, each facility can be displayed for further analysis and reporting.

With the VERISMART Energy Report, all data is summarized once per year and the report shows an overview, if the set goals have been reached.

The detailed picture of consumption allows to reduce costs significantly and as a bonus the customers can become aware of how they can save energy and water.”

How it works?

Functionality of mesh-network technology.

VERICOM mesh-network is based on bi-directional communication technology receiving and forwarding data and operating independently from one another. Each radio node can act as an independent router within the network.

If a meter (VERICOM radio node) is removed, the network will automatically re-route the data communication. When added to a network, a meter (radio node) will automatically be activated and help with the routing process.

A mesh-network is self-healing, regardless of disruptions in communication routes, the network automatically maintains a high and stable performance no matter how many radio nodes are added, removed or repositioned within the mesh-network. The mesh-network is considered to be very reliable because it works with several communication paths between source and destination address.

With a few components and dynamic routing, the wireless mesh-network is quick and easy to use and more cost-effective than other communication systems. The communication paths in a wireless mesh-network overcome the physical boundaries of a traditionally wired system such as PLC (powerline communication), which increases the range even in harsh environments.

In standard operation VERICOM radio nodes read out the meter at the full hour (in real-time) and transmit this meter index/values immediately to the VERICOM data-concentrator. From VERICOM data-concentrator all collected data of VERICOM radio mesh-network nodes are transmitted via cellular/mobile (3G-UMTS / 4G-LTE) communication to customer's IT-system.

VERICOM radio nodes are based in license free SubGHz-ISM-bandwidth and operate with ultra-low power energy management for several years with a single lithium battery. The range in urban areas is up to 1500 meters in rural areas up to 5000 meters (30 dB / 1 Watt radio output power). Nevertheless each VERICOM wireless radio node is automatically - due to its mesh-network functionality - a distance extender.

VERICOM radio communication is reliable safe, each communication telegram is encrypted by advanced encryption standard AES-128.

How to connect to external device (meter) ?

VERICOM mesh-network solution is meter independent, therefor each radio node is able to read-out any implemented meter make or meter type.

VERICOM solution does offer lots of hardware interfaces to connect to external devices, such as: